Its Just What We Do
by AsaMayoko
Summary: AU Endgame. Is it worth being a hero if the only thing the world gives heroes is pain? The crisis has passed, but at a terrible cost, however, it was not the speedster that died. *Character Death*
1. Chapter 1

Ch 1: Something Wrong

A/N: I edited the story, because I didn't like it before. So... enjoy?

Something was wrong.

Dick could tell when he saw the yellow blur getting struck by lightning. Repeatedly.

He could tell that the Magnetic Field Disrupter was on its last legs, which was a good sign, but it seemed to be taking its last deep breath before its final strike. Dick also has a sinking sensation in his stomach telling him that if he didn't do something **RIGHT NOW**, he was **not** going to enjoy the results.

"Conner! Toss me towards the vortex. Now!" The command startled his teammates, but he didn't have time to explain.

Superboy, although thoroughly confused by the odd request, grabbed Nightwing by the arms, swung him around once, before sending him flying towards the vortex.

It wasn't until Miss M heard Blue Beetle asking someone about the ceasing, probably the beetle latched onto his back, that she realized what Nightwing might be about to do.

_'Dick what are you doing?' _Miss M asked through mind-link, just to clarify, as Dick flipped and landed gracefully on his feet, continuing his desperate attempt to reach the vortex.

_'Making sure my best friend doesn't miss his promised date in Paris.' _He said, a hint of smirk seemed to coloring his voice. It amazed M'gann how Nightwing could be so calm in such a grave situation, but then again, that was always Robin's specialty.

_'Date in Paris…Dick how'd you know about that!' _Artemis asked, her concern suddenly escalating as she, too, realized, that something horrible was about to happen.

_'Hey, what can I say, I'm a detective. Besides, your comm.-link was on. It wasn't like you two were being very subtle about it.'_

Superboy had just grasped the meaning of his actions he had performed barely a few seconds ago. _'Wait! Nightwing! Come back!'_ He started running after his black clad teammate.

_'Seriously Superboy, there's no need to sound so distraught. It's not like I'm going to die or anything.'_ Dick's tone still held the same humor as his first statement, but this time there was a very serious underlying tone that clearly stated there was no stopping what he was about to do.

_'This isn't a joking matter! Wally knows what he's doing! He's a speedster, if you get anywhere near that vortex…do you have a death wish or something Dick?' _Yes, Artemis was worried about Wally, but what Dick was doing was complete suicide. He was only human. She had not heard what Blue Beetle has said earlier.

_'I'm not going to die Artemis. Dying would not be very whelming, relax.'_ Whelmed… she didn't remember the last time she had heard that word. Artemis wasn't stupid, and she knew that Nightwing wasn't stupid either. He knew the risks he was taking, and no one was dumb enough to believe that Nightwing thought he was going to come out of this stunt unscathed.

_'Dick! STOP!'_ Miss M was desperate. Part of her wanted to use her powers to pull Nightwing away from his course, but Aqualad came up from behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. She really wanted to stop Dick, and was almost certain that if Nightwing got anywhere near the speedsters, he would… she didn't want to think about it.

Kaldur, for his part, remained silent. He knew what Nightwing was about to do, but Dick's tone told him there was nothing he could say or do that would stop him. In fact, any attempt to stop him would probably end disastrously; anyway one looked at the situation. All he could do now was pray that the two men, his brothers in arms, that he had founded this team with would come out of this alive.

_'Listen guys, there isn't much time left, tell Tim, Bats, and everyone else…thanks, you know, just in case I don't make it. It's been short but sweet. Alright, all kidding aside, really guys, thank you, for everything. I'm glad we met. I couldn't have asked for a better family.'_ There was so much to say in such little time. M'gann could feel so many emotions radiating from Nightwing, overwhelming her. Overwhelming… back when they had started the team she could have sworn that word was taboo. When was the last time any of them and been just whelmed?

_'Dick wait-!'_ but it was too late. M'gann felt her mind link being cut off from Nightwing as he neared the yellow blur, covering the remaining space in a matter of seconds. Time was of the essence here, and he couldn't afford to miss his opening.

Dick could tell that Wally was slower than the other two speedsters, which was probably why he was targeted by the lightning, so if he introduced a slower target, he could divert the energy from Kid Flash.

Technically, he could have sent anyone to divert the energy, maybe even tossed a few batarangs to draw some of the energy away, though he was not entirely sure that batarangs would actually improve the situation… and if he decided to think about it logically, he **_supposedly_** was an important asset to the team, being the leader and all, but he had made two promises to himself over the period of his leadership. One was never to let another brother die. He almost believed **he** would die from the pain in his heart when he discovered that Jason was gone. That pain hadn't quite go away when he discovered that Jason had come back as the Red Hood.

The other promise was to never sacrifice the life of another teammate to achieve a goal, no matter how noble that goal was. Artemis' undercover mission had been a success, but his choice not to tell at least the senior members of the team had been a mistake. His betrayal of the trust he had forged with the team was not something that could be easily regained, and even though the team insisted that they understood, he could still see the sting of hurt behind their eyes when they looked at him. He would not risk betraying their trust again. They didn't deserve that.

Well, on the bright side, he probably wouldn't get a chance to do that anytime soon.

So, yeah, risking his life to keep promises that he made to **himself** seemed a tad bit selfish, but then again, he figured that he'd given and lost so much to the world he fought to protect, he might **possibly** be forgiven for being greedy, just this once.

The vortex caused by the MFD let out its last breath, releasing its largest, and most deadly, strike. The strike that would have ended the yellow clad speedster's life, if that certain speedster wasn't pushed, or rather tackled, off course. Regardless, the lightning would not miss. The vortex was determined to go out with a bang.

A/N: I realize that Blue Beetle's scarab said that Wally would cease to exist in approximately 16 seconds, but I extended it because I don't think Dick could have reached Wally in time and have a nice long dialogue with his team if he only had 16 seconds.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Lost for words

Something was wrong.

Wally could tell the moment he realized that the last strike of energy didn't hit him, and that he was, instead, sprawled on the ground with a mouthful of snow and his best friend panting next to him, when really, or at least Wally was pretty sure, he should be dead.

One second he was running next to Uncle Barry, telling him to give his love to Artemis, mentally wincing at the thought of Artemis dragging him back to life, just to kill him again (okay, lets be honest, Artemis was pretty scary when she wanted to be), and the next thing he knew, he had been tackled off his tracks, onto the snow.

"What the hell, Dick!" Wally groaned spitting snow and dirt out of his mouth. The vortex had closed off behind them and Flash and Bart were both slowing down to a stop, gasping for breath.

That was when he realized that something was very, very, wrong.

In all the hero story books and fairytales he'd read as a kid, the heroes always survived in the end and skipped happily off into the sunset, hand in hand. He'd maintained that optimistic perspective when doing his job, until Robin had his fall out with Batman, Jason and Tula died, Kaldur "betrayed" the team, and Dick stopped smiling. That was when he threw the towel and left, taking Artemis with him. He wanted to live the normal life, free from the horrible stories of reality, hoping to rediscover the innocence that he'd lost all those years ago.

What a fool he was. Once seen, it could not be unseen. Still, he refused to acknowledge it, even though he couldn't stop himself from turning on the news channel everyday and listening to reports on the latest crime in town. Nor could he stop the nightmares that plagued his dreams every night, full of dying people, screaming for his help, or more like Kid Flash's help.

That was why he had been so mad when Artemis decided to go back into the hero world, convincing himself that it had been all Dick's fault, him and his stupid plan, even though he knew that deep down, Artemis was still in love with the hero life, and once he was back in the field, he had realized why he'd love it too. The adrenaline rush that came with each mission and the warm feeling and sense of pride that came with every glance in the mirror and heartfelt thanks from the people they saved, knowing that they were truly making a difference in the world.

That being said, it still did not prepare Wally for the sight of his best friend. Dick was, for lack of any better words, fading. His hands and feet were turning translucent and slowly the rest of his body was following the suit.

"You idiot! What were you thinking? You could have-" Wally swallowed hard. Could have what? Died? Who was he fooling? Definitely not his guts, which were currently at the bottom of the ocean, screaming _ohmygodohmygodohmygod he's going to die_. And usually his gut feelings were correct, even if his heart did not want to believe it.

Dick snorted. "You're welcome Kid Klutz." Both boys' hearts ached at the use of the old nickname, resurfacing old memories of their first days as a team. Things were so much colorful and happier then; they were just kids, free from the crushing weight of the world on their shoulders.

"Why? You shouldn't have! I could have handle it, I-" Wally was lost for words. Yes, he was grateful for what Dick did, but he didn't want to lose another teammate, especially not his little brother. It was the older brother's job to protect the younger. He had argued and said some horrible things to Nightwing in the past, and if he disappeared now, he'd never have a chance to set things right again.

During the short period of his time back in the hero business, he had made two promises to himself; firstly, he would never let his friends fight the good fight without him. It had been bad enough sending Artemis into the field without knowing if she was okay. It was even worse living furious at himself for being unable to bring himself out of his self-imposed exile to ensure her safety, because he was scared. Scared that if he entering the hero world, he would only screw something up and lose someone close to him **again**, twice was enough, thanks very much. There was a reason everyone called him Kid Klutz or Kid Idiot after all (okay, sure, everyone told him there was nothing he could have done to save Tula or Jason, but it still hurt, his brain was constantly telling himself that he should have done **something**. Goddamn survivor's guilt.)

That was until Dick had told him that they would be storming the Light's base at the summit. There, he hadn't been able take it anymore and forced Dick to place him back in the game.

His second promise was made just after he'd left the mission room at the Watchtower, promising himself that when all this mess was over, he would apologize to Dick and rebuild the bridge of friendship that he'd destroyed when he left the team.

The words the two friends had said to each other left a deep scar on all the witnesses and had been a fatal wound to both men. Dick had been furious that Wally was leaving at a time that, Dick felt, he was needed most, seeing that the team was at its weakest, still reeling from the loss of two teammates and their leader. Dick was convinced that Wally's resignation from the team would be the last straw to break the camel's back, and he was worried he wouldn't be able to keep the team together. Wally on the other hand, was angered by Dick's inability to understand him, having been best friends for ages, his need to create distance from the team, and his desire to seek out a normal life, which Dick had called selfish and an act of betrayal. Words had been traded, resulting in a heavy silence that permeated throughout the cave for several days, until Dick had shown up at Wally and Artemis' house offering a stiff apology saying that he understood Wally's perspective and told him that he wanted them to part on better terms. Even though Dick had insisted that he understood, Wally could still see the cloud of pain behind his crystal blue eyes. Their conversations afterwards had either been very short and awkward or an argument. He swore to himself he would not cause that kind of pain to his best friend again. Dick didn't deserve that.

But it seemed like he probably wouldn't be given the chance to do that anytime soon. No, he would not allow himself to think like that. Dick would find a way to get out alive, he always did; Wally would make sure of that, hopefully…

"Wow, Wally West, lost for words. I don't think even Bats has managed to shut up a speedster so effectively." Dick smirked. He could feel himself slowly being pulled away by some unknown force. It was very unsettling. It didn't hurt, it was just… weird.

"Why? Whywhywhwhywhywhywhy!? You should have just stayed where you were-"

Dick sighed. So much for effectively shutting up a speedster.

"And what? Let you miss your first date in Paris? I don't think so."

"That's not the point! What about Tim and Bats and Babs and Zatanna and Alfred and Conner and M'gann and-"

Dick sighed again; wow, he was actually going to die. He could tell that his time was almost up, and honestly, Wally was speaking too fast for Dick's fogged up brain to follow.

"Wally, listen-"

"You made so many people so many promises; you can't just accept that you're dying! You promised Tim that you'd always be there for him and you promised-"

Dick really did miss listening to Wally's endless ranting, considering the last time the two of them had held an actual conversation, they had been arguing. But seriously… Dick could feel the beginnings of a headache sprouting in his head, he preferred to die without the usual headache that Wally was a pro at giving.

"Wally! This is the part where you shut up and listen carefully to your dying best friend as he tells you the location of his will, which happens to be in my room in a fake book on the top shelf of the bookshelf next to the window; and his last meaningful and heart-warming messages in which you are to spread to the rest of the said dying man's friends and family, understood?"

If the situation had not been so grave, Wally might have laughed. This was still Nightwing, the original Boy Wonder… and his best friend, having Nightwing without his witticisms and sarcasm was like cookies without butter. It was possible to have, but it definitely wasn't as tasty. Still, something didn't feel right; Dick had always been a fighter, why was he giving in so easily?

"Don't you care that you're dying? I mean-"

If Dick weren't feeling so sleepy at the moment, he might have slapped his hand on his forehead. Wally never learned to listen did he?

"Not important, I've made peace with that already. Listen; tell Roy that he will always be my older brother, regardless to the fact that he's a clone. I never cared who he was... or what he was. Find Jason and tell him to get his head out of his butt and come home, even if it's only for holidays. Tell Bats and Tim that I'm really sorry, but even after all that's happened, life was worth living, and I don't regret a second of it. Okay, well, maybe some of the embarrassing parts, but hey, we always laughed about it afterwards. Don't stop fighting for the world because I'm gone. Tell Babs that…" oh God, **Babs**, she was definitely going to kill him, that is if he didn't die here first. Dick swallowed hard, "…tell her I love her… and I only wish we could have had more time. Tell Kal that I'm counting on him to keep the team together and Wally…"

Dick paused, the weight of what he was leaving behind hit him like a train. Suddenly, just when he felt like he'd be okay with the fact he was going to die, he wanted to live, so badly. In a way, life was horrible because of that. The moment you are about to die, you come to realization that you've never wanted to live more in your entire life. Not asterous.

"We've argued in the past, a lot, but you'll always be my best friend and brother. Keep the others smiling, the world needs heroes, and heroes need to smile to let the world know that everything will be okay." The last sentence sounded almost bitter, but before Wally comment, Dick dragged himself off the ground and pulled Wally into a hug.

"Live life to the fullest Wally, and remember that I never regret becoming a hero. Saving all those lives was worth it. After all, it's just what we do." With that, Dick smiled and stepped back, fading into the snowy landscape, leaving Wally standing there alone, tears tracking down his face.

When the team had finally reached Wally, there was no trace of Nightwing left. The original members of Young Justice stood around in shock, all in different stages of denial and grief, none of them quite sure what to say.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Bad Jokes

The rest of Young Justice anxiously watched the monitor displaying satellite footage of a vortex closing off. There was a collective sigh of relief when the vortex was finally gone.

"They've done it!" Cassie squealed.

Just as the words left her lips, the zeta beam platforms sprang to life revealing Artemis, Kid Flash, Flash, Impulse, Superboy, Aqualad, Mg'ann, and Blue Beetle. They were immediately swamped by the rest of the team.

Barbara stopped in mid-step. Something was wrong.

"Congrats guys! You've just s-" Guardian begin, but he was cut off by Batgirl who noticed the absence of a certain member.

"Wait! Where's Nightwing?" The atmosphere tensed up, Tim, too, notice the absence his surrogate older brother from the group of returning heroes.

"Barbara," Wally started awkwardly, "he wanted me to tell you…he loved you." Wally said his voice cracking. It was getting harder and harder speak, almost like his throat had closed off or his voice box had been transformed into a lump of lead. He was beginning to wonder if he would ever be able to talk again.

It was like someone had grabbed her guts and twisted them into a knot and smashed her heart into a bloody pulp at the same time. "No. No, no, nonononono no…" she felt her legs buckling under her, as if they could no longer support the weight of the news she'd just received. Nightwing gone? No. Richard Grayson dead? Never. He was like a cockroach, it was impossible to kill him. She must have wandered into twilight zone, a nightmare, an alternate reality. Haha. Very funny. Someone had better tell Dick to stop hiding and come out so she could pound him into the ground. Someone tell Wally that this wasn't funny. Nice try, but the joke isn't appreciated. She could almost see Nightwing popping up behind Wally with his stupid grin saying, _'I really fooled you this time didn't I Babs?'. _Was this Grayson's way of confessing his undying love for her? She was absolutely going to murder him. _It's all a joke._ Her numb mind groped at these words like it was her lifeline. '_These people don't know Dick Grayson at all.' _Her brain decided. A joke. A horrible one, but she'd take it, just as long as he came out and proved that he was still here.

A tear slid down her face. By the time it landed on the floor, reality smashed into her. Her composure slipped. Hours of keeping a poker face schooled onto her face vanished into a dark and empty void. It was as if she'd just been teleported to the bottom of the Marina Trench, the pressure and weight of the ocean making it impossible to move, to think, to breathe.

Wally looked away guiltily, feeling as if he very existence was the cause of pain. One step back into the hero business, and he somehow had managed to screw something up. Again. What was the point of being a hero if the fight never ended? _'There will always be a world to save.'_ Artemis had said. What was the point in throwing your life away for something that would never end?

_'Batman's right. The mistake would be to let Aquagirl's sacrifice be in vain. We can make her death mean something by continuing the fight.' _That was what Dick had said after Aquagirl's death, and that was what he believed in. Continuing the fight. Wally made up his mind. He would continue the fight. For Nightwing.

Blue Beetle for the most part stood off to the side, feeling out of place and awkward. He didn't know Nightwing that well, but Nightwing was probably the most accepting towards him (considering the fact that he always seemed to be talking to no one), even after he'd been controlled by the Reach. He was also one of the people he trusted the most out of everyone on the team, well trusted to stay the same and keep his cool under any situation, and save his sorry ass from being kicked whenever he was in trouble. But witnessing this grief, especially at the Artic Circle was something else entirely. So he had simply stood off to the side, struggling to absorb the fact that Nightwing wasn't… here anymore.

The Monitor flickered showing the footage of seven familiar figures approaching the ruins of Mount Justice.

"Umm…Guys?" Beastboy said hesitantly, looking up at the silent team, "They're back."

Tim had remained rooted to the spot since Wally had delivered the news. He wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball, shut out the world and cry, but when he saw Batgirl falling to her knees, tears beginning to splat onto the floor, he knew he needed to be strong for her. There would be a time for crying later.

Tim placed a hand on Batgirl's shoulder, unaware of the team departing the Watchtower, gripping her so hard that he hand went numb. If he let go, she might vanish out of his life as well. If this was some sort of sick joke, Tim was going to lecture Dick for a good ten hours about getting a new sense of humor.

* * *

Superman scanned the site that used to be Mount Justice.

"Are we…too late?" he asked uncertainly. Where was the team? Had the invaders won? What on **EARTH **had happened to-

Batman interrupted his train of thoughts by placing a hand on his shoulder and looking skyward. Superman followed his gaze and saw the team descending from the skies to greet them.

Batman narrowed his eyes noting that none of his protégés were present.

Something was wrong. The atmosphere was not one of a successful mission.

Yes, something was **_very_** wrong.

"Aqualad, what happened here?" He needed answers now.

"Fear not, the crisis has passed," The Atlantian cautiously met the Bat's probing gaze, "though at a terrible cost."

The message was clear. One of them was… unless…it couldn't be a joke could it? He wouldn't put it past Dick to arrange some kind of joke like this, if the situation were not that serious. No…that was just wishful thinking. The last time Nightwing had pranked **anyone **was when Jason was Robin. The tension in the air told it all. Tim? Barbara? Jason? No, Jason probably decided not to get himself involved. It wasn't…

"Where's Robin?" Batman had meant to say Nightwing, but somehow the words had gotten lost on its way to his mouth in the mad panic whirling around his brain. Inside his head he was still talking about the same person.

Kaldur pause. "He is comforting Batgirl up at the Watchtower."

Tim was alive, and so was Batgirl. Red Hood probably was hiding out somewhere in Alaska still, so that meant…

Ice flooded his veins. The rest of the league seemed to be in shock as well. One of Batman's proteges was dead...but...

Batman narrowed his eyes dangerously. This had to be the worst joke of the century, or was he just kidding with himself?

He needed to know what had happened. Someone needed to tell Alfred, and he dearly hoped there would be someone he could blame and bring to justice, or more like someone he could pound into a bloody pile of meat. At the moment, it was hard to tell the difference between justice an revenge.

"Start talking."


	4. Chapter 4

Ch 4: Business as usual

_"-But I think we all know only one man qualifies. The man responsible for saving all our lives from the Reach's MFDs… ladies and gentlemen, I give you Lex Luthor!"_

"You have **got** to be kidding me." Superman growled, swiping the screen blank. Just when he thought the crisis was over…

"And on that note, I officially turn over my chairmanship of the League, to you." Captain Atom said, turning to Black Canary.

"Wow, thanks so much." Canary said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. It felt like things were going to get worse. Again.

Some people would think that the league was full of cold hearted people. There had just been a death in their family, yet they acted almost completely normal. Well, as normal as a group of superheroes who had just survived through an alien invasion could be.

They were wrong, though. The league was still mourning the loss of their comrade and the carefree child most of them had watched grow over the years. But they had to be strong for the kids; the team was taking this a lot harder than the rest of them, especially the younger members. The newer members had never faced the loss of a teammate before, and most were not sure what to do.

Besides, the cool façade that Canary had was her last line of defense. If that mask cracked, she was sure she would dissolving into tears, and that wasn't what the world need from her. There was still a job that had to be done. Business first, heart later.

As Black Canary finished off that thought the door to the mission room slid open revealing Aqualad and Kid Flash in a deep conversation.

"Are you certain that you still wish to join the team?" Kaldur pressed. He had not been around to witness the heated argument between Dick and Wally at Wally's resignation from the team, but he had heard stories of it, and he wanted to be certain that Kid Flash knew what he was walking back into.

"Yeah, I'm sure. It's not like I have any doubt in Barbara's ability to step up into the co-leader spot or anything. But I think you could use another speedster on the team. You know, you could be more places at once. Red Hood refused to join the team, so I figure there's…a spot… to fill. Anyways, I think I've been missing this job. A normal life just isn't one for me. Anyways, there's no way Artemis is going to be quitting anytime soon, so you guys are going to be stuck with me for a good long time. Bart'll just have to wait a little bit before I hand off the mantle of Kid Flash."

"But Wally, after all that we've lost-"

"I need to do this Kal," Wally cut in, before sighing and looking out over the dark void of space, speckled with stars. "You, me, Dick, we…we founded this team. But I abandoned him to chase after something that could never exist... well at least not for me… I can't just…"

Kaldur sighed. Wally's mind was made up.

"I understand."

* * *

Red Hood stared up at Nightwing's monument, his helmet tucked under his arm. Dick was wearing his infamous smirk; Jason could almost see the mischievous light gleaming in his eyes, as if to say that he had just concocted another devious prank. Jason hadn't seen that look on Dick's face since the start Reach Invasion.

"Came for a visit?" Jason spun around to come face to face with Batgirl. Confound it all, he'd been so caught up in thought that he hadn't heard her coming.

"Yeah." Jason throat closed up and he looked down, intensely studying his boot. Although he would never admit this out loud, he missed Dick. Part of him wanted to run and hide, disappear off the face of the earth, and another part wanted to march straight up to Arkham Asylum and put a bullet through every inmate there…maybe a dozen through the Joker for good measures. But he felt like he owed Nightwing, and committing murder in his name would probably seem like an insult.

"So…you turned down Kaldur's offer to take up his mantle? Bats even gave you his approval you know." Barbara stared at Jason intently.

He scuffed the ground with his shoe. "I don't belong on a mini justice league, even if I wanted to be on it, and I definitely don't want to steal another identity from him." Jason jerked his head towards the hologram. " I know he was always slightly pissed that I took the name of Robin, seeing how the name came from... Anyways, I reckon I wouldn't work very well with replacem- uh… Tim. But I figured that I'd lend a hand now and then if you guys are in a lot of trouble." It would already be weird working with the team. Tim obviously didn't approve of Jason's presence **anywhere**, considering how awkward things were at the mansion, and he'd only come back for a couple days to attend the funeral.

"Don't worry; Dick would've been glad to see you home." Batgirl said, sensing Jason's discomfort.

"Thanks." Jason looked back at Batgirl cautiously. "So, you're staying on the team? There's been talk that you might leave."

Barbara looked at Nightwing's hologram. "Yeah. I've thought about leaving for a bit, but…I just can't. It's my last reminder of him, and if I leave, I feel like he'll disappear forever. This team is like his legacy. I can't turn my back on it. Besides, Nightwing wouldn't have wanted me to stop fighting for the world."

Jason sighed. He had been doing that a lot recently. Whenever there was a quiet moment, on a roof top, in his apartment, in an alleyway, sighs just came and went like ants swarming around a hunk of food on the ground. In fact, he was pretty sure almost everyone was sighing far more than normal. "I guess if it makes you happy…" he muttered. He doubted the family of Bats, **his **family, would ever be truly happy again.

* * *

Welcome to the team Virgil." Wonder Girl said, in, hopefully, an upbeat tone.

"Call me Static." Virgil said with a grin.

"Catchy." Tim commented halfheartedly. His heart was still aching. Humor was never his strong point, and neither was holding up façades; it was always… well, yeah. Cassie, sensing Tim's mood, gave his hand a little squeeze.

"So… what about you're friends? I take it they decline our invitation?" Cassie said, trying to keep the conversation going.

"Well, Arsenal was always more of a solo act, and the others are getting out of the game..."

"Since when were Tim and Cassie a couple?" Conner asked turning around to face M'gann. He liked to think that he was pretty observant, so he really should have noticed something that obvious. He must have been very distracted lately.

"Since Dick… you know, it was kind of a life is short thing… it gave Cassie the courage to… kiss him." M'gann almost smiled at the memory. Cassie was a strong girl. She might be able to bring Tim back out of his shell.

"Well that kind of courage…" Conner started,

"Can be hard to come by." M'gann finished. She didn't have to read his mind to know where he was going with the conversation. Both of them had wanted to apologize recently, but neither of them had been able to muster the courage to broach the topic, especially after Nightwing had died.

They drew near to kiss, to reconcile for past arguments and tears, but they were interrupted by Kaldur's voice, calling them to the mission room. Both Conner and M'gann jumped before smiling sheepishly at one another and making their way inside.

* * *

"Having stopped the Reach Invasion and broken the Light in half, the team will now operate out of the Watchtower, side by side with the League, not because MountJustice was destroyed, but because you earned it." Batman could have sworn that he saw Dick lurking in the corner of the room, with a smile of approval on his lips. Batman blinked and looked again. Huh, nothing. He must have been imagining it.

"And so," Black Canary said, "we'll leave you to it." snapping Batman out of his reveries. Batman turned and left with the rest of the league, teleporting back to Gotham. Even seeing lingering phantoms of Dick was too painful for him to think straight. He hadn't felt so lost since the night his parents…enough. A night of patrol would clear his head… though he doubted it. Nothing short of an apocalypse could.

Aqualad sighed, for a brief second he thought he saw Nightwing leaning against a wall, arms crossed, with his trademark smirk playing on his face. He shook his head and turned to face the team, "This team has had successes, but much remains to be done. Superboy, Miss Martian, Beastboy, you're Alpha. B'arzz O'oomm has called from Mars, he needs help. Artemis, Kid Flash, Bumble Bee, Guardian, you are Beta. Lexcorp is bringing out the Reach soft drink under a new name. We need proof…"

Unknown to the team, Nightwing watched Aqualad assign missions to the rest of the team with a smile on his face.

Dick turned away, melting back into the shadows, the lingering pieces of his spirit join the rest, Now assured that his family would be fine.

He paused slightly, listening to Aqualad, who continue to fill in details of upcoming mission and snorted softly to himself, "Business as usual."


End file.
